Jogging device for mining heads of continuous miner



' oef.y 14, 1969 E. lJ, HUNSKY l 3,472,557

JOGGING DEVICE FOR MTNINGy HEADS OF CONTINUOUS MTNER Original Filed Aug. 24. 1966 4 Sheets-Sheer# Oct. 14, 1969 E. J. HLINSKY 3,472,557

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Oct. 14, 1969 E. J. HLlNsKY 3,472,557

JOGGING DEVICE FOR MINING HEADS OF' CONTINUOUS MINER Original Filed Aug. 24. 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 5 2 if', INVENTOR wf fw @0MM/ mgl r United States Patent O 3,472,557 JOGGING DEVICE FOR MINING HEADS OF CONTINUOUS MINER Emil J. Hlinsky, La Grange Park, Ill., assignor to Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Continuation of application Ser. No. 574,625, Aug. 24, 1966. This application July 15, 1968, Ser. No. 749,244

Int. Cl. E21c 1/02 U.S. Cl. 299-59 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Jogging device in the form of a small hydraulic motor connected to the gear train for driving the boring heads for jogging the boring heads and trimmer chain on a continuous mining machine to bring the cutter bits into accessible positions for changing and to avoid the overheating of the main motors heretofore caused by jogging by the main high horsepower motors.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 574,625 filed Aug. 24, 1966 and now abandoned.

Background of the invention In the continuous mining of coal and other minerals with boring type continuous mining machines, and particularly such machines as are used in mining thick or high seams, the cutter bits are frequently inaccessible for changing with the result that the motors for driving the boring heads must be started and stopped for short intervals of time to inch the boring heads and trimmer chain to bring the cutter bits into position where they may be reached by a person of average height.

The boring heads of continuous mining machines, mining the thicker mineral seams are usually driven by two connected motors which drive the boring heads to rotate in timed relation with respect to each other. These motors in present practice may have horsepowers of as high as tive hundred horsepower each, with the result that as the motors are started and stopped to bring the bits into position where they are accessible for changing, the intermittent starting and stopping of the motors tends to overheat the motors, besides requiring a high degree of skill to stop the cutter bits at accessible positions Where they may readily be changed.

Summary and objects of the invention A principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to remedy the foregoing deficiencies in continuous mining machines by connecting an independent auxiliary motor in the transmission for driving the boring heads, for effecting inching of the boring heads independently of the electric drive motors therefor.

Another object of the invention is to provide an irnproved form of inching drive, operable to inch the trimmer chain and boring heads of a continuous mining machine to bring the bits into accessible positions for changing, in the form of a iiuid operated motor having geared drive connection with the transmission gearing, in which the drive from the hydraulic motor to the transmission gearing includes an overrunning clutch preventing the driving of the uid operated motor by the transmission gearing driving the boring heads, when the boring heads are driven by the main drive motors.

A further object of the invention is to improve upon the continuous mining machines of the rotary boring type heretofore in use having a pair of rotary boring heads, a trimmer chain trimming the cusps depending from the mine roof and extending upwardly from the mine floor,

3,472,557 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 p ICC and a rotary cutter bar cooperating with the lower run of the trimmer chain to trim the cusp left between the boring heads and extending upwardly from the mine floor, in which the rotary cutter bar is driven by a iiuid operated motor, and the pump for the motor is driven from the transmission gearing driving the rotary boring heads and assuring continuous operation of the rotary cutter bar as long as the boring heads are in operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved rotary boring type of miner including a main supporting housing supporting a pair of contiguous rotary boring heads and individual drive motors therefor at opposite sides of the housing, and housing transmission gearing for driving the boring heads from said drive motors, in which a lubrication pump is provided to supply lubricant to the transmission gearing and is mounted on one side of the housing, and in which the loads driving the lubrication pump are balanced by a second pump continuously supplying fluid under pressure to a rotary cusp cutter, breaking down the cusp projecting upwardly of the mine iioor.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a view in side elevation of a continuous mining machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, of the front end portion of the machine shown in FIGURE l, showing the main supporting housing supporting the boring heads and trimmer bar, and the drive motors therefor;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1, and showing one motor and certain of the transmission gearing driven therefrom, and the hydraulic motor for inching the boring heads and trimmer chain;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a partial fragmentary sectional view showing the iiuid pump for driving the rotary cutter bar and the mounting and drive therefor; and

FIGURE 4t5` is a diagrammatic view diagrammatically showing the gear train for driving the two boring heads.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, I have shown in FIGURE l a continuous mining machine of the rotary boring type having a main frame 10 supported on laterally spaced continuous traction tread devices 11, which serve to tram the machine from working place to working place and to feed or advance a pair of contiguous rotary boring heads 12, 12 into the working face of the mine, in a conventional manner.

A main supporting housing 13 forms a support for the rotary boring heads 12, 12 and a housing and bearing support for transmission gearing and tying driving connections driving said rotary boring heads at the same rates of speed and also forms a support for main motors 15, 15 projecting rearwardly of said main supporting housing adjacent opposite sides thereof and forming a drive means for said rotary boring heads through transmission gearing and tying driving connections housed within said main supporting housing, as will hereinafter more clearly appear as this specification proceeds.

The main supporting housing 13 is adjustably supported on the forward end of the main frame 10, to eX- tend in advance of said main frame, on. hydraulic jacks 16, secured to the rear end portion of the main supporting housing 13 at opposite sides thereof, and supported on pivotal support members 17 of a conventional form. Control arms 14 extend rearwardly of the main supporting housing inwardly of the motors 15 and may be mounted on the main frame at their rear ends for universal movement, Ias shown in Patent No. 3,208,797 dated Sept. 28, 1965, and no part of the present invention, so not herein shown or described further.

The main supporting housing 13 also forms a support for an upper trimmer or cutter bar 18 extending across the front of said housing, in rearwardly spaced relation With respect to the boring heads 12, and forming a generally horizontal rectilinear guide for a trimmer chain 19, guiding said trimmer chain to trim the cusps left between the boring heads 12 and depending from the mine roof, as said boring heads progress into the mine face. The trimmer bar 18 is mounted for adjustable movement with respect to the main supporting housing 13 on hydraulic jacks 20, mounted at the forward end of the main supporting housing 13 in laterally spaced relation with respect to each other and extending vertically of said main supporting housing.

A lower trimmer bar 21 is disposed beneath and extends in parallel relation with respect to the ground or mine floor, in vertical alignment with the upper trimmer bar 18, and forms a rectilinear guide for the lower run of the trimmer chain 19, guiding said trimmer chain to trim the cusps left between the rotary boring heads 12, and projecting upwardly of the mine floor.

The lower trimmer bar 21 is suspended from the main supporting housing 13 on a pair of laterally spaced Vertically extending hydraulic jacks 22, and is held in xed relation with respect to the ground by said jacks and is vertically adjusted to be elevated above the ground during tramming of the machine from working place to working place, and to adjust the lower trimmer bar 21 to guide the trimmer chain 19 to cut along the ground. The trimmer chain 19 carries conventional cutter bits (not shown) and is driven from sprockets 19a, driven from the motors with the rotary boring heads 12, in a conventional manner.

A rotary cutter bar 23 having cutter bits 24 projecting radially therefrom (FIGURE 2) is mounted on the top of the lower trimmer bar 21, behind the trimmer chain 19, to cooperate with the lower trimmer bar and trimmer chain and break down the cusp upstanding from the mine floor to a size where it may be loaded onto a conveyor 25, extending along the machine beyond the rear end thereof.

The rotary cutter bar 23 is journalled at its opposite ends on bearing supports 26 and 27, mounted on the top of the trimmer bar 21 and projecting upwardly therefrom. The bearing support 26 has a gear housing 29 connected thereto, containing drive gearing (not shown) for driving the rotary trimmer bar 23 from a hydraulic motor 30, in a manner similar to that shown and described in Patent No. 3,086,761 which issued to Cedric E. Mc- Whorter on Apr. 23, 1963, and no part of the present invention, so not herein shown or described further.

'Ihe boring heads 12 may be of a conventional form and as shown in FIGURES l and 2 each includes a hub 33 mounted on a hollow shaft 35 journalled in the main supporting housing 13, and having a plurality of boring arms 36 extending radially therefrom. The arms 36 of each boring head are shown as having telescopic arms 37 mounted for telescopic movement with respect thereto to be retracted when tramming from place to place and to be extended to position cutter supports 39 and cutter bits 40 to mine rotary bores generally tangentially with the roof and oor of a mine. Each boring head also includes a central pilot cutter 41 and intermediate cutter bit supporting arms 42 and 43, cutting annular kerfs spaced radially inwardly of the kerfs cut by the cutter bits 40.

The telescopic arms 37 are held in fixed relation with respect to the boring heads 36 during mining and are extensibly and retractibly moved with respect to the boring arms by a conventional form of adjusting mechanism,

which is no part of the present invention so need not herein be shown or described further.

The main motors 15 may be electric motors of a relatively high horsepower and are each mounted on the main supporting housing 13 on opposite sides of the conveyor 25 to project rearwardly of said main supporting housing, in a similar manner, and the drive connections from said motors to the rotary boring heads are similar so only one motor mounting and drive connection need herein be shown and described in detail and the same part numbers will be applied to similar parts associated with and driven from each main drive motor 15. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 each main motor 15 is bolted or otherwise secured to a flange 45, extending radially of a housing 46 for a torque clutch 47.

The torque clutch 47 may be of a conventional `form of friction disk clutch, loaded to a predetermined torque load, and is driven from a motor shaft 48, and drives a coaxial shaft 49, forming the driven member for the clutch, and a drive member for a spur gear 50, of primary planetary gearing 51 housed within an annular drum-like housing 53. The annular housing 53 is secured to the rear wall of the main supporting housing 13 as by cap screws 54 or other suitable securing means. The shaft 49 is journalled intermediate its ends in an end plate 55 for the front end of the clutch housing 46 and for the rear end of the annular drum-like housing 53. The housing 46 fis secured to the end plate 55 and to the annular drumlike housing 53, as by machine screws 56, extending through a ange 57 of the clutch housing 46 and the end plate 55, and threaded axially into the wall of the drumlike housing 53.

The primary planetary reduction gearing 51 includes a cage 59 having a plurality of shafts 60 mounted therein, in radially spaced relation with respect to the axis of rotation of said cage, and having planetary pinions 61 journalled thereon on self-aligning bearings 62. The planetary pinions 61 are driven from the sun gear 50` and mesh with an internal gear 63 formed integrally with the inner periphery of said drum-like housing 53. The cage 59 has internal coupling teeth 64 formed integrally therewith meshing with teeth or splines 65 of a floating sleeve 66. The splines or teeth 65 in turn mesh with planetary pinions 67 of secondary planetary reduction gearing 68, which mesh with internal teeth 69, formed integrally with the inner periphery of the drum-like housing 53. The planetary pinions 67 are journalled on shafts 70 in a manner similar to which the planetary pinions 61 are journalled on the shafts 60. The shafts 70 extend axially of a cage 71 in radially spaced relation with respect to the axis of rotation thereof. The cage 71 is keyed or otherwise secured to a drive shaft 72.

The drive shaft 72 forms a main drive shaft for an associated boring head 12 and is journalled intermediate its ends in a bearing support 73 for a self-aligning roller bearing 75. The bearing support 73 abuts the rear wall of the main supporting housing 13 and is interposed between the forward end of the annular drum-like housing 53 and the rear wall of the main supporting housing 13 and is secured to said main supporting housing 'by the machine screws 54. The bearing support 73 also has an inwardly extending arm 76 having a bearing support 77 on its inner end forming a support for a self-aligning roller bearing 79, rotatably supporting a reduced end portion 80 of the main drive shaft 72. The main drive shaft 72 is shown as having a pinion 81 formed integrally therewith, meshing with, a. drive gear 82 of the transmission gearing.

As shown in FIGURE 6, the transmission gearing includes a gear 83 coaxial with the gear 82 and driven thereby and driving a gear 85 coaxial with and keyed or otherwise secured to the hollow boring head drive shaft 35 (not shown) for driving said shaft. The gears 85 are tied together by a tying gear train 86, tying the two boring heads to be driven by the motors 15 at the same rates of speed in opposite directions, to progress the cuttings in front of the conveyor 25, in a conventional manner.

The means for inching the boring heads 12, 12 and the trimmer chain 19, to alord access to the cutter bits 40 and the cutter bits (not shown) carried by the trimmer chain 19, is shown as comprising Aan auxiliary motor 88 herein shown as being a fluid pressure operated motor having a motor shaft 89 forming a drive member for an overrurining clutch 90, housed in acasing 91 for the overrunning clutch. The overrunning clutch 90 may be of any conventional form. A suitable clutch is the overrunning clutch manufactured by Formsprag of Warren, Michigan and no part of the present invention so not herein shown or described in detail. The overrunning clutch 90 has a driven shaft 92 journalled in an end wall 93 of the housing 91 on ball bearings 95. The end of the shaft 92 journalled on the ball bearings 95 is of an enlarged diameter and has a spur gear 96 keyed or otherwise secured thereto.

The spur gear 96 in turn meshes with and drives a spur gear 97, meshing with the teeth 65 of the floating sleeve 66. The supply of fluid under pressure to the iluid operated motor 88 under the control of suitable valve means (not shown) will thus drive the floating sleeve 65 and the main drive shaft 72 through the planetary pinions 67 and the cage 71 of the secondary planetary gearing.

This will effect a drive to the two boring heads 12, 12 by the fluid operated motor 88 to inch the boring heads 12, 12 and bring the cutter bits 40, 40y into position where they may be reached for convenient changing. The trimmer chain 19 will also be driven with the boring heads to position the cutter bits (not shown) carried thereby into accessible positions for changing.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 the housing 91 for the overrunning clutch 90 is recessed in and secured to a housing 99 for the gear 96, which housing also forms a bearing support for the enlarged diameter end portion of the shaft 92. The housing 99 is shown in FIGURE 4 as being generally rectangular in form and has a flange 100 extending laterally outwardly of its inner end portion, abutting an end wall portion of the drum-like housing 53, which defines an opening 101 into said drum-like housing. Cap screws 103 0r other suitable securing means are provided to secure the housing 99 to the drum-like housing 53.

The enlarged diameter end portion of the shaft 92 is shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 as being bored and internally splined to eiect a drive to a drive shaft 105 for a lubricating pump 106. The lubricating pump 106 is provided to supply lubricant to the gear train 86 as well as the planetary reduction gearing contained within the annular drumlike housing 53, and is suitably secured to an end wall 107 of the housing 99, opposite from the housing 91.

The gear pump 106 is continuously driven through the teeth 65, meshing with the gears 97 and 96 during operation of the motors 15, and when so driven, the overrunning clutch 90 is ineffective to drive the hydraulic motor 88.

A pump 109 is provided on the opposite side of the machine from the pump 106 to provide fluid under pressure to the motor 30, to rotatably drive the rotary cutter bar 23 with the boring heads 12.

As shown in FIGURE 5, the pump 109 has a pump housing 111 secured to a gear housing 112 for a drive pinion 113, journalled therein. The gear housing 112 is suitably secured to the drum-like housing 53 and closes an opening 115 in said drum-like housing, through which a drive gear 116 rotates. The gear 116 may be an intermediate gear meshing with a gear (not shown) meshing with the teeth 65 of the iloating sleeve 66, to rotatably drive the pump 109 and elect the supply of lluid under pressure to the lluid operated motor 13, and to thereby drive the cutter bar 23 as long as the motors are in operation.

The fluid pump 109 may be connected with a suitable source of supply of hydraulic liuid and may have fluid connection with the liuid motor 30, through suitable iluid conductors, which are no part of the present invention, so need not herein be shown or described further. The lluid pump 109 besides supplying fluid under pressure to the motor 30 may thus, in elect, provide a direct drive connection with said motor without the interposition of control valves, to assure operation of the rotary cutter bar 23 as long as the rotary boring heads 12 are in operation. The pump 109 also serves to balance the loads imposed by the lubricating pump 106, to thus equalize the drive loads on the two motors 15 and the reduction gear trains driven thereby.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a simplified form of -drive independent of the main drive motors for the boring heads has been provided, for :inching the boring heads and trimmer chain, to bring the cutter bits carried thereby within the reach of an average individual and thereby facilitate the changing of the bits and avoid overheating of the motors 15, caused by efforts to inch the boring heads by intermittent operation of said motors.

It may further be seen that the drive to the cutter bar 23 through the hydraulic motor 30 is attained without the interposition of control valves :for said hydraulic motor, and that the drive in elect is a direct drive to the cutter bar 23 effecting a continuous drive to said cutter bar, and balancing the drive loads of the lubricating pump 106.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which the invention may be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variations and modifications in the invention may be attained Without. departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a continuous mining machine,

a. main supporting housing supported in spaced relation with respect to the ground for movement toward the working face of a mine,

a cutter means supported on said main supporting housing in advance thereof and having cutter bits projecting therefrom,

a main motor,

transmission means driven from said main motor for driving said cutter means to eliect a mining operation, and

an auxiliary fluid pressure operated motor controlled independently of said main motor for inching said cutter means to afford access to the` cutter bits carried thereby and having a motor shaft,

a drive connection from said motor shaft to said transmission means, and

an overrunning clutch in said drive connection, preventing the driving of said auxiliary fluid pressure operated motor by said main motor during operation of said cutter means by said main motor.

Z. The structure of claim 1,

wherein a gear housing is supported on said main supporting housing and forms a mounting for Said main motor on said housing,

wherein the auxiliary fluid pressure operated motor is mounted on said gear housing on the outside thereof,

wherein the drive connection from said auxiliary fluid pressure operated motor to said transmission means is a geared driving connection and includes at least one gear driven by said motor shalit, and

wherein said overrunning clutch is provided in said geared driving connection, to prevent the driving of said liuid pressure operated motor by said main motor.

3. The structure of claim 2,

wherein two coaxial planetary geared driving devices are provided within said gear housing,

wherein a sleeve is provided to connect said planetary geared driving devices together, and

wherein the geared driving connection from said auxiliary fluid pressure operated motor to said transmission means comprises, a second gear driven by said gear driven by said motor shaft and having geared driving connection with said Sleeve.

4. The structure of claim 3,

wherein the sleeve connecting said planetary geared driving devices together is a floating sleeve coaxial Iof the axis of said main motor.

5. The structure of claim 3,

wherein a lubricant pump is mounted on the outside of said gear housing and has a drive shaft coaxial of the drive shaft for said auxiliary Huid pressure operated motor, and driven by the geared driving connection from said auxiliary fluid pressure operated motor to said transmission means.

6. In a continuous mining machine,

a mobile main frame,

a main supporting housing mounted on said main frame at the forward end thereof and extending in advance thereof,

upper and lower trimmer bars mounted on said main supporting housing and having a trimmer chain movable therealong,

two laterally spaced rotary boring heads mounted on said main supporting housing in advance of said trimmer bars and on opposite sides of the center of said main frame and having cutter supports projecting forwardly therefrom, carrying cutter bits for cutting from the roof to the floor of the mine,

a pair of main electric motors mounted on said main Y supporitng housing adjacent opposite Sides thereof, and projecting rearwardly therefrom,

transmission means driven from said main motors,

tying drive connections from said transmission means to said boring heads, simultaneously driving said boring heads at the same rates of speed.

a rotatable cutter bar disposed above said lower trimmer bar and supported thereon to break down the cusp upstanding from the mine floor in cooperation with said trimmer bar,

a fluid pressure -operated motor for driving said rotatable cutter bar,

an auxiliary duid pressure operated motor having driving connection with said transmission means for inching said boring heads to alford access to the cutter bits carried thereby,

a fluid pump and a driving connection from said transmission means for driving said fluid pump to supply fluid under pressure to said fluid pressure operated motor for driving said rotatable cutter bar, to drive said uid pressure operated motor and rotatable cutter bar as long as said main motors are in operation and to inch said rotatable cutter bar when said auxiliary fluid pressure operated motor is in operation to inch said rotary boring heads, to position the cutter bits carried by Said rotary cutter bar into accessible positions for changing.

7. The structure of claim 6,

wherein a second fluid pump balances said first mentioned fluid pump and is disposed on the opposite side of said main supporitng housing from said rst mentioned fluid pump, and is driven from the transmission means driven from said main electric motors, and is effective to supply lubricant under pressure to said transmission means and to said tying drive connections.

8. The structure of claim 7,

wherein the auxiliary fluid pressure operated motor is mounted on the same side of said main supporting housing as said second fluid pump and has a motor shaft coaxial with the axis of rotation of said second iiuid pump.

9. The structure of claim 8,

wherein the drive from said auxiliary fluid pressure operated motor to said transmision means comprises an overrunning clutch, inoperative to drive said auxiliary fluid pressure operated motor from said transmission means and providing a drive from said auxiliary uid pressure operated motor to Said transmission means to .inch said rotary boring heads.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 540,306 6/1895 Fry 299-58 X 1,951,875 3/1934 Laabs 74-661 2,355,342 V8/1944 Van Wormer 175-104 X 2,836,992 6/1958 Byam 74-661 3,086,761 4/ 1963 McWhorter 299-57 ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

